How Rare Are Manx?

Several hundred Manx cats might be registered with United States breed associations in a typical year, making them a relatively rare purebred feline. Since members of this tailless breed carry genes for regular tails, kittens in the same Manx litter might have no tails, short tails and complete tails. Unfortunately, some kittens are born with Manx syndrome, a spinal cord condition that might require euthanization.

  1. Manx

    • Exactly how the Manx cat arrived on Britain's Isle of Man is lost both in the mists of time and legend, but they were among the earliest cats exhibited at organized cat shows in the United States and the United Kingdom. The "rumpy" Manx, the most favored by fanciers, has no tail. The rumpy riser has a little bump consisting of a few fused vertebrae. Both rumpies and rumpy risers are eligible to compete in purebred cat shows. The Manx is much more than a feline curiosity. While taillessness might be the breed's primary feature, the secondary physical characteristic is roundness. He boasts a round head, round eyes and a round behind. The Manx appears in most colors, and there's also a long-haired version called the Cymric.

    Breeding

    • One reason for Manx rarity is the small number of kittens born in the average litter. Many Manx mothers give birth to only two to four kittens in a litter. Roughly 25 percent of kittens are born with full tails, while a significant percentage suffer from congenital deformities.

    Stumpies

    • If you don't plan to show your cat but simply want a Manx for its friendly, canine-like personality, you might obtain a "stumpy" from a Manx breeder sooner than a tailless cat. Stumpies have short tails and are ineligible for competition in Manx classes.

    Manx Syndrome

    • Manx syndrome refers to spinal deformities associated with the tailless gene, including spina bifida. While some kittens are only mildly affected, exhibiting a wobbly or "hopping" gait, others can't use their hind legs or don't have control of their bladder or bowels. According to the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare, these deformities can prove fatal or breeders might choose to humanely euthanized affected kittens. Symptoms generally appear by the age of 4 months, so breeders usually do not send kittens to new homes until after that time.